Dans le paysage des gagnants de la loterie, il y a des histoires qui tournent à l’idylle… et puis, il y a celle de Michael Carroll, alias le “Roi des Chavs” (type des banlieues
). Earning almost £10 million at just 19 years of age? Sure, it can make you dizzy. But hang on, because Carroll's destiny is a rollercoaster ride with no brakes!
D’un coup, sa vie bascule : terminé le boulot de ramasseurs des poubelles, place à un train de vie absolument démesuré. Drogues, alcool, escapades dans les bordels… il met le paquet, sans retenue aucune. Il n’hésitait pas à se vanter ouvertement d’avoir eu des liaisons avec plus de 4 000 femmes et d’organiser des fêtes dignes de la Rome antique. Au menu ? “Orgies romaines” où, comme il le disait lui-même, des femmes nues servaient de la cocaïne sur des plateaux d’argent, et des nuits où il “s’occupait” de huit partenaires à la fois. Eh oui, on touche là au summum du rock’n’roll version Carroll !
These parties sometimes cost as much as £50,000, but that was just a taste of his spending spree. In fact, Carroll spent almost 2,000 pounds a day on white powder alone, not to mention the bottles that rolled into the early hours of the morning. Today, he admits to having fallen into alcoholism, starting his day with three lines of cocaine and half a liter of vodka... And all this, he admits, without ever turning back.
Alas, it was impossible to combine excess and fortune over the long term: the downturn was brutal. Ruined, abandoned by his wife and with his back against the wall, he was forced to return to sorting rubbish where it all began. A real slap in the face, doubled recently by the tragedy of the disappearance of his sister, victim of cardiac arrest after one night too many - a shock for the family, and a new test on the long list of his troubles.
Mais alors, après tout ce cirque, Carroll regrette-t-il sa folle décennie ? Pas une seconde. Il le répète haut et fort : ces dix ans furent “les meilleurs de sa vie pour une livre sterling”, et il ne voudrait en rien réécrire l’histoire. Voilà un homme qui assume tout, jusqu’au bout, même les choix les plus discutables !
Spending sprees? Risky investments? An unsustainable lifestyle? There's no need to go into detail here, as we show you that money can't buy happiness... but it can sometimes buy you a ticket to an extraordinary adventure.
As for you, what do you think of this incredible story? Fascinated or dismayed? Would you be tempted by the Carroll whirlwind? Share your opinion - it promises to be a lively debate!
